Is the war on drugs really a war on peasants?

[dArKeR]

Peasants in rural Mexico say that they face daily harassment and brutality at the hands of the military

REUTERS
Thursday, Nov 20, 2003,Page 9

A month before her eighth birthday, Noemi Prisciliano watched three Mexican soldiers push into her dirt-floor home. She saw them point their guns at her mother and force her to the ground.

"When they finished stripping her, one soldier unbuckled his pants and pulled down the zipper. He hit my mother with his hand," the child, now nine, said in legal testimony.

Noemi grabbed her three younger siblings and ran to her grandfather's house. He was afraid to interfere with the army so they waited in silence.

When the children went home they found their mother crying. She said she had been raped.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2003/11/20/2003076576

[MercutioATC]

1. No, it's just an example of a corrupt military/police force/court system.

The article specifically mentions a woman being asked where her husband stole meat. This has a lot less to do with the "the war on drugs is racist/classist" arguement than it does with the corruption that's so prevalent in many countries.

[amber dog democrat]

2. The rule of law only goes so far

When confronted with corrupt situations. Its just not safe to be poor in much of the world. I don't feel surprised. I am very leery of police whenever I travel out side the US.

[jukes]

3. "The rule of law..."

I'm leery of police here in the Confederacy.

[Suzette]

4. As long as you broaden this to include

'a peasant by any other name', I'd say, YEEAAHHH!

[amber dog democrat]

6. no one is safe, really

its just a matter of wrong place, wrong time. Had a maternal grandfather who used to say no one with cents or sense is likley to get into trouble in Mexico.... but he was talking about the 1940s. God help you if you were poor back then too.

[Suzette]

7. "God help you if you were poor back then, too."

Yes, and, "no one is safe, really" are two constants in this world.

a peasant is a pauper is a person just one paycheck away from homelessness

[el_gato]

5. it's a scam

especially given the CIA drug running ops

8. Yes